What to Expect After LASIK Surgery: Recovery & Care Tips

What is LASIK Surgery?

LASIK surgery is one of the most common and efficient methods of treating myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism vision difficulties. Whether you are planning to undergo LASIK or have recently gotten the procedure, knowing how to take care of yourself post-operatively is an important part of ensuring that you get the best care tips for optimal results. Here’s what you can expect after LASIK surgery and how to best manage your eyes post-operatively.

Immediate Post-Surgery Effects

Post-surgery of your LASIK procedure, you are more likely than not to have:

Blurred Vision: Foggy or hazy vision is common after surgery but usually resolves within a day.

Mild Discomfort: You may feel slight burning, itching in the eye, or a sensation of foreign body in your eye.

Light Sensitivity: Unpleasant feeling towards bright lights, which comes with glare and halos at night.

Watery or Dry Eyes: Increased lacrimation in some, and decreased in others wherein artificial tears are needed.

Redness or Blood Spots: Small red spots are common on the whites of your eyes. Such spots usually resolve in a week.

First 24 Hours: Initial Recovery

Rest Your Eyes: Try your very best to avoid any screen time, and maintain your eyes closed for lengthy durations.

Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes: Overzealous rubbing can lead to the corneal flap becoming dislodged which may lead to a host of further complications.

Use Prescribed Eye Drops: The use of antibiotic and lubricating drops not only helps in fighting against infection but also helps keep your eyes moist.

Wear Protective Shields: Your healthcare officer might provide you with protective eye shields to wear while sleeping in order to avoid the risk of accidently rubbing your eyes.

Avoid Bright Lights: While it is ideal to avoid bright lights completely, sunglasses can allow you to reduce light sensitivity and at the same time give protection from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.

First Week: Getting Used to Clear Vision

Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions: It is important to show up for the follow up appointments to check the status of healing.

Avoid Water Exposure: You should be cautious about getting water into your eyes while showering, and prevent swimming or using hot tubs.

Limit Screen Time: Make an effort to reduce the time spent on staring at screens so as to lessen the eye strain that may develop.

No Heavy Exercise: Stay away from prolonged activities where the eye muscles may be worn out.

Use Artificial Tears: Use artificial tears to overcome dry uncomfortable eyes.

First Month: Vision Changes with Time

Gradual Vision Improvement: The vision should start getting better until the interferences in sight are much less common than before.

Resume Light Activities: Most daily tasks, including work and some gentle exercises, can resume after a couple of days.

Avoid Eye Makeup: Refrain from using fake eyelashes, mascara, eyeliner and other products on the eyes for more than two weeks so as to refrain from developing infections.

Long Term Care For Lasting Results

Similar to dropping a coin into a piggy bank, small contributions add up, therefore it is a wise decision to schedule routine eye checkups in order to keep a tab on eye health.

Maintaining eye hydration on the other hand, can be achieved by consuming copious amounts of water and topping it off with lubricant eye drops when hydration seems low. All contact lens users suffering with dry eyes should take note of this.

Protect Your Eyes

Further, a balanced diet that consists of foods rich with A and C vitamins will help protect ones eyesight. Watching how you treat your eyes, putting an effort to avoid rubbing them, will go a long way in preserving eye health after a surgery.

When To Call Your Doctor

Remarkably, the timeline post surgery is the most sensitive. Ensure to check in with an eye doctor for any discomfort, excruciating pain or intense irritableness - particularly if the pain alters vision or causes blood vessels in the eye to burst.

Final Thoughts

Retinal detachment, an excessive amount of redness, unwanted zeroing in light or persistent glares. It is a good idea to remain vigilant and recipients of the LASIK procedure need to pay the utmost attention to any form of vision fluctuations.

Have additional questions? Discuss your worries or other curiosities with your doctor, they can help.

Consider how remarkable life will become with LASIK. Find a doctor to confirm whether or not you qualify for this vision altering procedure.